News

Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Alma

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Knights took their first victory of a four game series with Alma after a 4-2 victory in game three on Tuesday. The game took place at Calvin field, though Alma went in the scorebook as the home team.

It was the Scots who got on the board first. In the bottom of the second inning, Alma took advantage of a Calvin error after a single off the bat of Micah Parshall. The Scots brought two runs around, taking an early 2-0 lead.

The Knights responded in the next half inning. Tyler Tos (Wallnut Creek, CA/Berena Christian HS) and Scott Tipton (Stow, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian HS) got things started with singles and Ben Cok (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) drew a walk to load the bases. With one out, Kyle Spoelma (Kentwood/South Christian HS) knocked a double down the left field line, scoring two. Mike Fuller (Sylvania, OH/Southview HS) then singled through the gap between first and second to add a run. After two innings, the Knights led by a run.

Meanwhile, Grant VanderWall (Wyoming/South Christian HS) was calmly working through the Scotsí lineup. Neither of the runs against him earned, VanderWall forced the Scots to strand six runners on base. In the fifth, with a runner on third, the Knights caught Ian Rhynard attempting to steal, ending the inning and keeping the score at 3-2.

Calvin was able to add a run in the top of the seventh when, with the bases loaded. Kyle Spoelma became the third Knight hit by a pitch in the inning. The Knights took a three run advantage into the bottom of the seventh. Despite a two-out single, Calvin was able to get out of the inning unscathed, ending the game at 4-2.

VanderWall allowed five hits and no earned runs, earning a victory and bringing his record to 3-5. After the game, the Knights record moved to 11-17 overall and 6-13 in conference.

GAME TWO

Calvin fell to Alma in the final game of a four-game series on Tuesday, losing by a score of 4-1.

In the bottom of the first, Alma catcher Matt Stephens hit a single to score two. The Scots took a 2-0 lead into the second. The Knights got a run back in the second when, after an error from Stephens, Ben Cok rounded third and crossed home.

From there, Kevin Thompson and Joe Lambers (Grosse Pointe/Grosse Pointe South HS), Alma and Calvinís starting pitchers, respectively, would find a rhythm. Lambers struck out seven batters in 5.1 innings and Thompson didnít allow a single earned run in seven innings of work.

Ryan Henris, who was stellar at the shortstop all afternoon for the Scots, picked up an RBI in the sixth as Alma added two runs of insurance to make the score 4-1. Though the Knights were able to put runners on second and third in the top of the seventh, they couldnít get a run across, and a pop-out to second ended the game in the Scotsí favor.

Lambers took the loss for the Knights, while Thompson picked up the win. With the loss, Calvin drops to 6-14 in conference and 11-18 overall.